History of Westport, Connecticut, USA

Westport, Connecticut
Fairfield county. This pleasant town was called Saugatuck, the name of a river that passes through it, until 1835. It was taken from the towns of Fairfield, Norwalk, and Weston. It is about 5 miles in length from north to south, and is bounded E. by Fairfield, S. by Long Island Sound, and W. by Norwalk. Population, 1835, 1,800.

There are in the town, 2 or 3 cotton mills, 2 carriage factories, and manufactures of shoes, hats and various other articles. The village is quite a business place, and commands considerable trade.

The Saugatuck is navigable for vessels of 7 feet draught of water to the village, which is 6 1/ 2 miles W. from Fairfield, 3 1/ 2 N.E. from Norwalk, and 27 S.W. from New Haven.

About 2 1/ 2 miles south of the village of Westport is a smooth and beautiful elevation, called Compo. It was at this place that the British troops landed in April, 1777, when on their expedition to Danbury. They also returned to this place when they embarked on...

Westport, a post-township in Fairfield co., Connecticut, on Long Island sound, intersected by the New York and New Haven rail road, 28 miles S. W. from New Haven. The village is situated on the railroad, and on both sides of the Saugatuck river, about 2 1/ 2 miles from its mouth. It is the sent of an active and rapidly increasing business, and contains 2 or 3 churches, 1 bank, and about 15 stores. Population, 2651.

Thursday morning, at half-past two o’clock, fire was discovered issuing from the large farm barn on the premises of Mr. Stephen H. Alden in Westport. An alarm was sounded and the firemen promptly came, but, despite their efforts and the aid of many citizens, the structure soon became a mass of ruins. A horse, four Alderney cows (worth $1,000 each) a large quantity of hay, grain, and farming utensils were burned. The loss cannot be less than $10,000; no insurance. During a seven years’ residence in Westport, Mr. Alden has suffered by no less than six fires, and his losses will aggregate $75,000. Two weeks ago, on the 16th ult., a grapery on his premises, built by the late R. H. Winslow, of New York, at an expense of $7,000, was set on fire and burned. The present fire is undoubtedly incendiary.

WESTPORT, Ct., April 18. - Captain Alfred Taylor, of the Poplar Plains District, some two miles north of the town of Westport, is now in his 95th year. He is the oldest voter in Fairfield county, and one of the oldest in the State. He owns a farm of several hundred acres, and has worked upon it during a period of more than two generations. His wife, Mrs. Chloe Taylor, is 92. Should they live till Good Friday, April 23, they will have completed seventy four years of married life. A diamond wedding will be held in their honor, to which hosts of friends will be bidden, and in which every descendant and relative will take part.

Captain Taylor, when asked about his great age and the rapid flight of time, says he is unable to realize where the years have gone. To him the events of remote periods which he has witnessed seem to have occurred but yesterday. He is a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and cherishes the memory of "Old Hickory." When Mr. and Mrs. Taylor began in life, there...

West'port, a post-village in Westport township, Fair field co., Conn., on the Saugatuck River, about 10 miles W.S.W. of Bridgeport, 3 miles N.E. of Norwalk, and 13 miles N.E. of Westport Station of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. It contains 7 churches, a national bank, a savings-bank, an academy, and the River side Institute for ladies. It has manufactures of cotton rope, batting, twine, mattresses, carriages, boots, and shoes. Westport Station is 11 miles W.S.W. of Bridgeport. The township is bounded on the S. by Long Island Sound. Pop. of the township in 1890, 3715.

Westport, a banking post-village in Westport township (town), Fairfield co., Conn., on the Saugatuck River, about 10 miles WSW. of Bridgeport, on the New York, New Haven and Hartford R. The town has manufactures of starch, paper, edge-tools and axes, twine, rope, batting, mattresses, carriages, boots and shoes, etc. Pop. of the town in 1900, 4017.

Another disastrous wreck on the New Haven Road was on Oct. 4, 1912, when the Boston Express was smashed at the Westport (Conn.) crossover, killing nine persons and injuring twenty. The new Haven Company issued a statement shortly after the accident in which it said the express took the crossover at high speed, in spite of the fact that the home signal was at danger.

Charles S. Mellen and E. H. McHenry, President and Vice President of the road, were arrested on April 15 last on a bench warrant issued by Judge Gardner Greene of the Superior Court at the request of Stiles Judson, State Attorney of Fairfield County. The two officials were charged with gross neglect and manslaughter growing out of the Westport wreck. They were released on $5,000 bail. The case of the two was brought to trial in May, but was adjourned until the October session of the court.